The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has provided reasons why it raided and sealed Diplomatic Suite Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja, in a joint operation with men of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The anti-drug agency revealed that it took the action to prevent a cannabis party and the launch of a suspected new psychoactive drink.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Thursday in Abuja and can be seen on the agency’s official Twitter account.
Babafemi said about 200 attendees, including three young ladies who organised the hemp party, were currently being profiled and interviewed, while bottles of the new drink had been taken for lab analysis.
What the NDLEA spokesman is saying
The statement from Babafemi partly reads, ‘’The hotel was raided at 8.18 p.m. on April 20, following actionable intelligence that some youths were planning to hold a hemp party at the hotel. Quantities of cannabis sativa were recovered from the pockets and bags of those arrested at the hemp party.
“The audacious party, no doubt, is part of attempts by some elements to create a drug subculture in the Nigerian social space.
“The NDLEA will, however, continue to work with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders, to ensure abuse of illicit substances is not allowed to get entrenched in the country under any guise.’’
What you should know
- The NDLEA had in recent times intensified its fight against drug abuse and trafficking of illegal drugs which it has described as a major cause of the increase in crime rate in the society and urged the general public to desist from the abuse as well intake.
- The agency had noted that the intake of hard drugs and abuse are impacting negatively on the national quest for rapid national development as many youths, who are the engine of growth for any nation, have continued to embrace.
